The matter would be so simple and one of so common repute that immediately you accepted the wager only to find that in some minute particular, you _were_ wrong, and that the knowing youth had won. For instance:-- "Thompson, do you know how many States there are in the Union?" [Illustration: "SHUFFLE BOARD."] Now any citizen of the United States who votes, and is eligible to the Presidency, ought to know how many States there are in his beloved country without thinking, but how many are there who can say, off-hand? And so poor Thompson answered:-- "What a question! Of course I know." "Bet ye bottle ye don't!" "Done. There are--" [Sidenote: THE YOUNG MAN FROM CHICAGO.] And then Thompson would find himself figuring the very important problem as to whether Colorado had been admitted, and Nevada, and Oregon, and he would decide that one had and the other hadn't, and finally state the number, with great certainty that it was wrong. The Chicago man's crowning bet occurred the last day out. The smoking room was tolerably full, as were the occupants, and everybody was bored, as everybody is on the last day. The Chicago man had been silent for an hour, when suddenly he broke out: "Gentlemen--" "Oh, no more bets," was the exclamation of the entire party. "Give us a rest." "I don't want to bet, but I can show you something curious." "Well?" "I say it and mean it. I can drink a glass of water without it's going down my throat." "And get it into your stomach?" "Certainly." There was a silence of considerably more than a minute. Every man in the room had been victimized by this gatherer up of inconsidered trifles, and there was a general disposition to get the better of him in some way if possible. Here was the opportunity. How could a man get a glass of water into his stomach without its going down his throat? Impossible! And so the usual bottle of wine was wagered, and the Chicago man proceeded to accomplish the supposed impossible feat. It was very easily done. All he did was to stand upon his head on the seat that runs around the room and swallow a glass of water. It went to his stomach, but it did not go _down_ his throat. It went _up_ his throat. And so his last triumph was greater than all his previous ones, for every man in the room had been eager to accept his wager. From that time out had he offered to wager that he would swallow his own head he would have got no takers.